STALKER 2 Highlights the Need for a Date Change at The Game Awards

For the past ten years, The Game Awards has reliably landed in December, typically between the 3rd and the 10th, offering a perfect conclusion to the year by celebrating the games that thrilled us and hinting at the exciting titles waiting on the horizon. However, its timing doesn’t quite favor every game, an issue that STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl has recently highlighted.

When you consider prestigious ceremonies like the Oscars, the Grammys, or the gaming world’s own D.I.C.E. Awards, they all take place early in the year, ensuring every entry from the previous year gets its moment in the spotlight. The Game Awards, on the other hand, isn’t on the same timeline. This has led to certain games missing out on nominations simply because the panel didn’t have enough time to evaluate them thoroughly, or because they didn’t fit within the consideration window. There’s been a growing clamor for The Game Awards to rethink its schedule, with voices like Kotaku’s Kenneth Shepard pointing out how it affected Dragon Age: The Veilguard. Now, STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl adds even more weight to these arguments.

Reflecting on the past, remember when Halo Infinite launched on Xbox and PC in December 2021? Although it clinched the Player’s Voice award, it wasn’t eligible for other nominations since it slipped past the cutoff, releasing just a day before the ceremony on December 9. Had Halo Infinite been considered the following year, it still didn’t grab any nominations, overshadowed by big names like Elden Ring and God of War Ragnarok, among others.

Similarly, games like Marvel’s Midnight Suns and Pentiment, which launched on November 15 and December 2, respectively, found themselves out of the nominee list at the 2022 Game Awards. And just like Halo Infinite, they seemed to vanish when voters turned their attention to 2023’s nominees.

Now we face another instance where STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl finds itself grappling with this timing issue. Despite enduring a challenging development, it’s finally reaching players, garnering significant attention. Still, its release dates mean it missed a nomination chance this year. Although STALKER 2 could theoretically make an impression at next year’s awards, it’s up against titans like Monster Hunter Wilds and Grand Theft Auto 6 set to drop in 2025, making it tough to stand out.

Interestingly, Asgard’s Wrath 2 sneaked through the cracks, launching on December 15, 2023, and managed to snag a nomination for Best VR Game in the following awards cycle—an uncommon win for games outside the usual window.

Looking to December 2024, more games could find themselves in a bind as well. Titles like Marvel Rivals and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle are on the horizon, and they could lose traction by the time the next Game Awards rolls around. Even VR releases slated for December, such as Skydance’s Behemoth and Alien: Rogue Incursion, are at risk of being overlooked.

In light of these scenarios, it’s clear that the case for revisiting The Game Awards’ schedule is becoming more compelling with each passing year.